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My husband is interviewing for a teaching job in DC. As it turns out, I am pregnant and am due in December. We both currently live in New York City, but I grew up in Woodbridge and my family still lives there.
If my husband does get the job, then he will be the only one making a salary, as I will not be able to start a new job for just 3-4 months, so things will be tight; however, I do plan to find something temporary (Im a school psychologist so may be able to pick up some work doing something like evaluations, tutoring, or therapy).
So, with that said, I'm in need of recommendations for areas to live in. We will likely rent at first until I can go back to work. Here in NYC we pay 1600 a month for a 1BR/1BA and have a good amount of $ leftover since we're both working, so we'd pretty much like to stay around that price or under for a rental. Ideally, we'd like to rent a 2-3 BR/2BA townhome in an area with under a 90 minute commute to DC (but an hour or less is ideal of course). If there are public transportation options for my husband, that would be great; we'd love to only buy 1 car for the family at first if possible.
We want what most families with small children probably want: a safe, friendly neighborhood, outdoor options (parks, walking paths), we are health conscious so health food stores or a Whole Foods in the area would be a plus. Also, since my parents in Woodbridge will be helping out with the baby when they can, it would be great to live in an area within a reasonable commute to them as well. I really don't want to move back to Woodbridge (I think I would feel like I was right back where I started) but will live there if it proves to be the best option. Right now, coming from NYC, more living space and some personal outdoor space is a top priority.
On the internet we've looked into Herndon, Reston, and Sterling and Chantilly. I also like the look of Leesburg and Fredericksburg/Stafford (especially because the latter seems very affordable) but am not sure of the commutes. Fairfax is too large for me to figure out and Alexandria seems accessible but Im unsure of any parts of it that would work for us.
Any help is appreciated!
*I should add that we have a cat, if that matters, and wouldn't mind renting a SFH either if we could afford to (not sure of that either).
What about Burke? When I think family friendly that's the first place that comes to mind. I'm not too sure where the nearest Whole Foods would be. I'm thinking the one near Fair Oaks mall. Your husband could park at the Springfield metro and take that into the city. West Springfield is nice too.
First of all, congratulations on your impending new addition to the family and your upcoming relocation to Northern Virginia.
I'm noted on this forum for not exactly being enamored with my current suburb of Reston, but it does fit nearly all of your criteria. Woodbridge is a straight shot down Route 7100 (Fairfax County Parkway) to I-95 South for a couple of miles. In general this isn't a bad ride, but I did make the mistake of trying to do this during the evening rush-hour the other day to get to Ikea; it took me 90 minutes. Generally speaking with little or no traffic and well-synchronized traffic signals (of which there are dozens) that drive should probably take you about 40 minutes between Reston and Woodbridge.
Reston is decidedly different from most stereotypical suburbs in that it has retained a very thick and lush tree canopy whereas in many other nearby suburban areas (Herndon, Sterling, Ashburn, etc.) many trees have been clear-cut for development interests. One thing I'll really miss about Reston when I move is all of the verdant vegetation. I nearly cried when the blizzards we had in February knocked so many trees down all over the community. As someone afflicted with seasonal allergies it's difficult to endure, but nothing beats opening my front door and walking over to Lake Anne beneath a thick leafy canopy. Reston doesn't have a good network of sidewalks (major gripe), but there is a compensating recreational trail system that links some residential areas to commercial areas, lakes, schools, and other points of interest. I'm still firmly in the "we need to raise taxes to install sidewalks and streetlights" camp, but obviously you'll see I'm in the minority on this forum with that mindset.
Reston is DC's largest suburb outside the Beltway (I-495), with an estimated current population of roughly 65,000. Neighboring Herndon has just over 20,000 residents, and Reston/Herndon combined are probably the second-largest employment center in Northern Virginia, behind nearby Tysons Corner. Reston is commutable to DC via mass transit, albeit when the Silver Line of Metrorail finally comes here in 2013 it will be a much easier task. Right now you can ride a bus from Reston to the West Falls Church Metrorail station and take the train into DC (probably an hour each way during peak hours, especially if you need to transfer to another line).
Reston isn't a "town." We are considered a "census designated place" of unincorporated Fairfax County, and we are also governed by a very overzealous HOA, which is sadly why the architecture here offers so little in the way of variety, taste, or charm. This HOA, the Reston Association, collects dues and uses those to help to maintain a large number of community parks, pools, tennis courts, playgrounds, the trail system, etc. I honestly couldn't think of many places in Fairfax County that are better-suited for raising children.
Your price point of under $1,600/month for a townhome might be tough given Reston's sky-high housing prices, but I'm certain CraigsList has some offerings available. There are several regular current or former Reston posters on here (anonymous703, JFromReston, ICS67, etc.) so I'm sure they'll also all be along soon as well to provide their own insights.
Why doesn't Reston work for me personally? I don't give a flying diddley-squat about great schools or raising kids because I'm a young gay single professional fresh out of college and feel like a fish out of water in the exurbs. I'm sure someday when I find a partner and look to adopt a place like Reston would seem very, very alluring, but at this stage in my life being surrounded by soccer moms is starting to take its toll on me emotionally (most of my friends are in Arlington). However, just because I personally think Reston isn't a great place to live doesn't mean I wouldn't wholeheartedly recommend it for others who are at different stages in their lives. To me I'm just not very happy in Fairfax County overall---it's like a hybrid between the television shows "The O.C." and "Jersey Shore" with a lot of materialism, self-importance, and self-indulgence. I know that sentence will get me into trouble, but so be it; it is merely my opinion---not "fact."
What does Reston have to offer?
Reston Town Center: Our "fake downtown" built from around 1990-present, which features an outdoor covered ice skating rink that doubles as a concert/event venue in warmer months, a large promenade with a fountain, a small movie theater, and numerous stores and restaurants (mostly high-end chains like Williams-Sonoma, Banana Republic, Sephora, McCormick & Schmick's, Morton's, Cosi, etc.) This is the premiere place for people in Eastern Loudoun County and Western Fairfax County to converge to feel like they're in "the city" without ever setting foot inside the Beltway.
Reston Hospital Center: One of the best hospitals in this part of the area, in my opinion, and it is slated to undergo a major expansion soon.
Reston Community Center: Located in South Reston (the community is split in half by the Dulles Toll Road), this venue has all sorts of interesting theatrical productions, classes/workshops, etc. to keep people involved.
^Yes, we like to use the word "center" after things here---don't know why.
Overall it's not a bad place to live. I just don't personally think what it has to offer justifies the price point (generally speaking Reston is much more expensive than neighboring Herndon).
I also forgot to mention that Reston has the following grocery stores: Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Safeway, Giant, Harris-Teeter, and Compare Foods. Neighboring Herndon has two Giants, a Safeway, a Harris-Teeter, and a Bloom. Amazingly enough I have yet to shop at one of ANY of these stores when they weren't busy, so we're not saturated (yet) with grocery stores. I firmly think Reston could benefit from a Wegman's in one of the new planned developments near the future rail line.
What about Burke? When I think family friendly that's the first place that comes to mind. I'm not too sure where the nearest Whole Foods would be. I'm thinking the one near Fair Oaks mall. Your husband could park at the Springfield metro and take that into the city. West Springfield is nice too.
Congrats on your little one by the way.
Burke actually isn't a bad suggestion at all. It's closer to Woodbridge than Reston and is likely less expensive since Reston is so over-priced. I was thinking that with your desire to take mass transit into DC Reston might have the edge (bus to rail into DC in 2010; rail into DC in 2013). Reston also has many more shopping/dining options, but Burke isn't terribly far from Fairfax/Fair Lakes. The Springfield Metro works, too. Burke and Reston should both be pretty good options to consider.
If you could deal with a condo, you could find a 2BR in Kingstowne. However, for a townhouse, I'd agree with Burke, and would offer the suggestion of West Springfield as well. Fairfax and Oakton, too, would be good choices, but you're getting further from Woodbridge in Oakton, and it would likely be a condo/apartment to be in your preferred range. A townhouse in Fairfax would be in the $1700-$1800 range for a 3/2, for a non-garage unit. Kingstowne would be a little bit higher for a townhouse, and West Springfield would start in the $1600-$1700 range, though there are more townhouses closer to the same range as Farifax.
However, you would have nice communities, though as I'm sure you know Burke and Springfield are a bit more spread out, and don't have a defined downtown area, something akin to Woodbridge, wheras Fairfax does have a downtown, albeit a small one. And, you can take the CUE bus from Fairfax City (and adjacent county areas) to the Metro, so you would only have expenses associated with one vehicle if you were to find a townhouse/condo near the CUE bus route.
Reston would be fine, but it's a hassle if your parents are coming from Woodbridge to help you with your young family on a regular basis. From Reston the Parkway to 95 is the long way, as 123 is more direct, but even with all the traffic lights in favor, it would be closer to an hour each way. Reston is easily 30-35 minutes from Fairfax Station, on a good day, and Occoquan is 15-20 minutes from Fairfax Station -- hence Woodbridge is closer to an hour without traffic.
Even the back way through Clifton, which used to be the way to Davis Ford Road, via Yates Ford Road to avoid some of the traffic, is jammed during rush hour.
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If you could deal with a condo, you could find a 2BR in Kingstowne. However, for a townhouse, I'd agree with Burke, and would offer the suggestion of West Springfield as well. Fairfax and Oakton, too, would be good choices, but you're getting further from Woodbridge in Oakton, and it would likely be a condo/apartment to be in your preferred range. A townhouse in Fairfax would be in the $1700-$1800 range for a 3/2, for a non-garage unit. Kingstowne would be a little bit higher for a townhouse, and West Springfield would start in the $1600-$1700 range, though there are more townhouses closer to the same range as Farifax.
However, you would have nice communities, though as I'm sure you know Burke and Springfield are a bit more spread out, and don't have a defined downtown area, something akin to Woodbridge, wheras Fairfax does have a downtown, albeit a small one. And, you can take the CUE bus from Fairfax City (and adjacent county areas) to the Metro, so you would only have expenses associated with one vehicle if you were to find a townhouse/condo near the CUE bus route.
Reston would be fine, but it's a hassle if your parents are coming from Woodbridge to help you with your young family on a regular basis. From Reston the Parkway to 95 is the long way, as 123 is more direct, but even with all the traffic lights in favor, it would be closer to an hour each way. Reston is easily 30-35 minutes from Fairfax Station, on a good day, and Occoquan is 15-20 minutes from Fairfax Station -- hence Woodbridge is closer to an hour without traffic.
Even the back way through Clifton, which used to be the way to Davis Ford Road, via Yates Ford Road to avoid some of the traffic, is jammed during rush hour.
I used to live in Oakton and really liked it. I stayed at the Four Winds apartments. Very nice granite counter tops, microwave installed, balcony, washer dryer full sized not stackable, pool and like no crime at all. I think the rent is like $1700 for a 2 bedroom with a tiny den that we used as a 3rd bedroom but honestly so super small. How he did it is beyond me. Oh there's elevators never seen an apartment complex with outside corridors with an elevator but definitely nice if you're on the 3rd or 4th floor or even the 2nd floor if you're moving or carrying heavy stuff. The one thing I didn't like was that it felt like it took forever to get to my car from the apartment. Where I live now I park on the street and can get to my car quicker than in the apartment complex. So I'd highly recommend it. But the traffic just got to be too much which is why I moved to Arlington.
Oakton to Dc would be about an hour commute depending on where in the city he was teaching. Only went to Woodbridge from Oakton once and it took about 30 minutes or so.
Why aren't you looking in DC? Since you don't have school-aged children and aren't looking to buy, you should consider being in town or as close as possible. When my daughter was born in 2003, I was annoyed to no end that almost all the fun things to do with her were in-town. Not to mention the gorgeous parks, zoo, museums, free entertainment, fabulous restaurants, functioning public transport, etc. You wouldn't need a car, your commute would be easy, and many areas are safer than you think. There are also very good day care options in the city should you decide to go back to work. Check out this article on yahoo about the demographic shift in major cities:
White flight? Suburbs lose young whites to cities - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100509/ap_on_re_us/us_changing_suburbs - broken link)
Why aren't you looking in DC? Since you don't have school-aged children and aren't looking to buy, you should consider being in town or as close as possible. When my daughter was born in 2003, I was annoyed to no end that almost all the fun things to do with her were in-town. Not to mention the gorgeous parks, zoo, museums, free entertainment, fabulous restaurants, functioning public transport, etc. You wouldn't need a car, your commute would be easy, and many areas are safer than you think. There are also very good day care options in the city should you decide to go back to work. Check out this article on yahoo about the demographic shift in major cities:
White flight? Suburbs lose young whites to cities - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100509/ap_on_re_us/us_changing_suburbs - broken link)
I do like the idea of Burke, West Springfield, and Kingstowne because I've heard a little bit of info first-hand from my mother about those areas and they seem like nice areas. We know someone who lived in Kingstowne for a while and loved it. It may be a little bit more to rent there than we'd like, but if its worth it and we could swing it, then great. I've also looked a little bit online about rentals there and those seem like they would work. My husband would love to take the metro in to work, as he could ride his bike or carpool to the metro station and that would save us some expenses on buying 2 cars at the same time (as we own none at the moment). Can anyone recommend some complexes in those areas that they are familiar with that are great? Of course, a townhouse would be the best option for us, but we're open to condos/apartments as well.
Oakton is an area that I've heard great things about but was concerned that it would be a bit out of our price range. Maybe if I keep looking, I can find something- it may just be real estate that I'm thinking of, and perhaps rentals are more affordable?
I do have a friend or 2 in Reston, but more so in Arlington and DC. Reston seems beautiful and I have been to the Town Center on several occasions in the past. Vegetation/trees are definitely a plus for us- we don't get much of that in NYC. I am a bit concerned about the commute that my mom might have and vice versa. I imagine that the first year of our baby's life we will need to rely on her at least twice a week for help, support, childcare, etc., since it is our first child, especially if I go back to work after 8 months (which is my plan).
Arlington and especially DC would, in theory, be great for us as far as convenience and a social life goes since I would be close to friends, activities, my husband would be close to work and we would be able to walk to everywhere, etc. I do fear getting lonely and bored out in more suburban areas since I don't have too many friends left in the area (I haven't lived there in 10 years) and I'm soon-to-be 28 and don't expect to fit in with families with older kids. So I would probably be looking around Arlington or DC if I wasn't pregnant. But, we currently have the city life in NYC and are hoping to move out and get a change for 2 big reasons: more space for less $$ with more affordable housing possibilities in nice neighborhoods (NYC can be very segregated when it comes to the cost of living), and closer proximity to my parents for support when the baby arrives (not to mention some form of a private outdoor space would be a dream). It will be a big transition for us, but our priorities now that we're expecting are basically the baby, and therefore a quality living environment and family support are pretty important to me. Plus, city living can be a big pain at the same time- another reason why we're ready for a change and looking to make life a little easier and quieter in many aspects.
All in all, I do want to be close enough to my parents, while still being far enough away, haha. A half hour to 40 minute commute would be ideal.
Are there are any areas in West Springfield, Burke, Fairfax, and Alexandria that we should totally avoid? Also, are there areas in these neighborhoods where the location of the metro or commuter bus stop is bike-able?
Last edited by leh0405; 05-10-2010 at 07:39 AM..
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Generally speaking with little or no traffic and well-synchronized traffic signals (of which there are dozens) that drive should probably take you about 40 minutes between Reston and Woodbridge. 
